Law as a career in India is one of the most challenging and interesting professions a student can take up but he/she must have an aptitude for being creative, thinking out of the box, scrutinizing documents, being patient, doing a lot of reading to constantly upgrade knowledge regarding the changes in their field, relate to past cases to solve current ones and also be good at oral and written communication skills. A law degree offers wide career opportunities and is also a lucrative career option. One can specialize in any field namely corporate law, civil law, criminal law, tax law, international law, etc.
One can pursue a LLB course on completion of school itself(10+2). All India level examinations are conducted for selection into these programs. The tenure for completion of such programs is five years and this is sponsored by the Bar Council of India. There is also a 2 year LLB program which is opted by candidates who have completed their graduation in any field. Selection for this program is also through common examinations. PG programs in law(LLM) are also offered on completion of the LLB program for a duration of two years. Some universities also provide diploma courses in specialized areas of law like human right law, administrative law etc.
On completion of studies, a candidate needs to register himself/herself with the State Central Bar Council to start practice. There are various career options available to lawyers in our country. They can enter employment in private or public organizations and can also set up their own practice, become teachers or writers. Appointment for Central Government positions is through the UPSC exam and for the State Government sector is through SPSC. Various positions like attorney general at the central level, advocate general at the state level are directly filled in by the president and governor for attending to matters specific to parliamentary issues and state disputes respectively. Lawyers can also work under the legal department of the defense services namely army, navy or air force.
Lawyers can practice independently and represent various companies, trusts or individuals for solving various types of disputes. A graduation in law clubbed with a membership from the Company Secretaries of India would gain employment as a company sectaries in an organization. If a person has a good aptitude for teaching, a qualified lawyer can teach law in various institutions. And if a lawyer has an aptitude for writing, he/she can write for various newspapers, magazines and also write law journals. Apart from this, new options like legal process outsourcing, media and law, cyber law, etc are emerging fast.
The most popular law institution in India is the National Law School of India University at Bangalore. Other prominent law schools are Govt. College, Mumbai, ILS law college, Faculty of law of Delhi University etc. When it comes to being a successful lawyer, proper training under a qualified/experienced lawyer is vital to understand the profession. Good practice and consistent knowledge up-gradation guarantees a fulfilling professional experience.